Reading response to Bodies in Alliance and the Politics of the Street

Butler, based on Hannah Arendt’s view of action, expounded the current economic and political conditions under the public rally of the dynamics, analysis of their significance. She argued that we can not politically take the public space as a matter of practice. She also seems to think that our bodies, our actions, the space we are exercising, the declared space, our right to take that action, the actions that maintain this right, and the risks we take on the behavior.

She believed that no human can be human alone. And no human can be human without acting in concert with others and on conditions of equality. Freedom happened between the relationship. Equality is not only words or written, but only when the body comes together, through their actions, the appearance of space into life. This space is a feature and effect of action, and only when Arendt maintains an equal relationship, it works.

Judith Butler first commented on joining the body / mass for political purposes and subsequently claiming to be public space. Sideways and parks are often seen as public spaces, but when people in this “public space”, they will keep themselves and create a private space bubble. Private space does not exist in the protest, because many people join in because of a career. However, in the protest, there is a view that the public space itself is illegal. When controversial decisions or abuse of power, will be publicized and thus referred to the public domain.

Protests also invade public space and private space. Butler analyzed modern mass demonstrations and boycotts. These demonstrations “appear in space” also occupy a space that already exists, representing certain powers. Taking up space itself will generate new “space” for the existing power and create a new space between one of the two objects.

Violence proceeds and follows revolution.Violence permeates inequality between periods of turmoil. The public space is created by our affinity and act together. However our rights are always in conflict with the power that inevitably condenses around us. Our rights are at risk, so our bodies are at risk. “Attacking the body is the right to attack yourself, because the right is the right of the body to exercise in the street.”